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The Daemon Tempts Justina, Who Is a Christian by Percy Bysshe Shelley

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A demon attempts to corrupt Justina, a devoted Christian woman, by calling forth spirits of desire and saturating her senses with visions and sounds of love until she abandons her faith and seeks out Cyprian, a sorcerer.

Poet
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Core theme
Faith
The PoemFull text

The Daemon Tempts Justina, Who Is a Christian

Percy Bysshe Shelley

DAEMON: Abyss of Hell! I call on thee, Thou wild misrule of thine own anarchy! From thy prison-house set free The spirits of voluptuous death, That with their mighty breath _5 They may destroy a world of virgin thoughts; Let her chaste mind with fancies thick as motes Be peopled from thy shadowy deep, Till her guiltless fantasy Full to overflowing be! _10 And with sweetest harmony, Let birds, and flowers, and leaves, and all things move To love, only to love. Let nothing meet her eyes But signs of Love’s soft victories; _15 Let nothing meet her ear But sounds of Love’s sweet sorrow, So that from faith no succour she may borrow, But, guided by my spirit blind And in a magic snare entwined, _20 She may now seek Cyprian. Begin, while I in silence bind My voice, when thy sweet song thou hast began. NOTE: _18 she may]may she 1824. A VOICE [WITHIN]: What is the glory far above All else in human life? ALL: Love! love! _25 [WHILE THESE WORDS ARE SUNG,

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A demon attempts to corrupt Justina, a devoted Christian woman, by calling forth spirits of desire and saturating her senses with visions and sounds of love until she abandons her faith and seeks out Cyprian, a sorcerer. The poem unfolds as a dramatic monologue — the daemon is effectively casting a spell, commanding the forces of Hell to inundate Justina's mind with romantic yearning. It concludes with a chorus proclaiming that love is the most important aspect of human existence, which is precisely the snare the daemon has laid.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Abyss of Hell! I call on thee, / Thou wild misrule of thine own anarchy!

    Editor's note

    The daemon begins by directly calling upon Hell, not as a structured realm but as utter chaos — "wild misrule of thine own anarchy." This frames Hell as a chaotic force, which is precisely what the daemon aims to unleash on Justina's orderly, devoted mind.

  2. From thy prison-house set free / The spirits of voluptuous death,

    Editor's note

    The daemon requests Hell to free "spirits of voluptuous death" — a powerful phrase that connects sensual pleasure with destruction. Here, desire is depicted as anything but innocent; it represents a form of death for the soul. The term "prison-house" implies that these forces are usually restrained, and the daemon is intentionally shattering that restraint.

  3. That with their mighty breath / They may destroy a world of virgin thoughts;

    Editor's note

    The target is clear: Justina's inner world of pure, untouched thoughts. The term "virgin" conveys both its literal and a spiritual meaning — her mind remains uncorrupted. The daemon seeks to obliterate those thoughts, replacing them with something far more chaotic.

  4. Let her chaste mind with fancies thick as motes / Be peopled from thy shadowy deep,

    Editor's note

    "Motes" refer to tiny dust particles — the image suggests that Justina's mind is filled with romantic fantasies, as plentiful and unavoidable as dust in a beam of light. "Peopled from thy shadowy deep" indicates that these thoughts originate from Hell itself, rather than from her own character.

  5. Till her guiltless fantasy / Full to overflowing be!

    Editor's note

    The daemon aims to not only touch her imagination but to completely overwhelm it — to fill it beyond capacity. The term "guiltless" holds significance: Justina is innocent, which adds a predatory edge to the daemon's scheme. He is setting his sights on someone who has committed no wrong.

  6. And with sweetest harmony, / Let birds, and flowers, and leaves, and all things move / To love, only to love.

    Editor's note

    The strategy shifts here from assault to seduction. Instead of dark spirits, the daemon now uses the beauty of the natural world—birds singing, flowers blooming, leaves rustling—all aimed at a single message: love. Nature turns into a tool for spreading desire.

  7. Let nothing meet her eyes / But signs of Love's soft victories;

    Editor's note

    "Love's soft victories" is a subtly ominous phrase. Love triumphs not through force but through gentleness, gradually eroding resistance. The daemon aims for Justina's entire sensory experience — every sight and sound — to convey the same message.

  8. So that from faith no succour she may borrow, / But, guided by my spirit blind

    Editor's note

    This is the daemon's main objective: to sever Justina from her faith entirely, leaving her without any help or comfort. "My spirit blind" refers to the daemon's own guiding force, which directs it away from truth rather than toward it — this blindness is intentional, a characteristic rather than a defect.

  9. And in a magic snare entwined, / She may now seek Cyprian.

    Editor's note

    The plan is laid bare: when Justina feels enough of the artificial longing, she will seek out Cyprian — a sorcerer from the original legend. The "magic snare" indicates that this is a trap, rather than a true awakening of emotions.

  10. Begin, while I in silence bind / My voice, when thy sweet song thou hast began.

    Editor's note

    The daemon steps back, allowing the summoned forces to take charge, falling silent as the "sweet song" of temptation begins to resonate. It's a chilling moment—the real danger lies in when the tempter stops speaking and lets beauty take center stage.

  11. What is the glory far above / All else in human life?

    Editor's note

    A disembodied voice asks a question that the daemon has crafted the whole scene to address. It seems like a real philosophical inquiry, but in this context, it's a loaded prompt—the answer has already been predetermined by the spell being cast.

  12. Love! love!

    Editor's note

    The chorus responds together, and the repetition creates a chant-like or hymn-like vibe — which is precisely the intention. The daemon has swapped out religious worship for a passion for love. The trap tightens around one blissful word.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone feels almost like an incantation; it reads like a spell being spoken, with a rhythmic build-up that reflects the daemon's strategy. Beneath the beauty lies a sense of menace. The language of flowers and birdsong coexists with phrases like "voluptuous death" and "magic snare," and this contrast is intentional. Shelley crafts the daemon's voice to be smooth and persuasive rather than clearly evil, which adds to the unsettling effect. By the time the chorus sings "Love! love!", the tone shifts to something that sounds almost joyful — and that's the most disturbing moment of all.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The Abyss of Hell
Hell isn't depicted as a fiery pit but rather as a realm of formless chaos — "wild misrule" and "anarchy." It embodies the breakdown of order, reason, and faith, which is precisely what the daemon aims to instill in Justina's mind.
Spirits of voluptuous death
These spirits connect physical desire to spiritual ruin. The combination of "voluptuous" (sensual, pleasurable) with "death" suggests that the daemon views erotic longing as a tool — something that feels alive but ultimately leads to the soul's demise.
Motes (dust particles)
The phrase "thick as motes" illustrates the daemon's intent to smother Justina—not with a single, decisive attack, but through an endless stream of subtle, unavoidable intrusions, similar to how dust gradually accumulates in a room, often unnoticed until it becomes pervasive.
Birds, flowers, and leaves
Natural beauty is twisted to serve the daemon's purposes. These aren't innocent depictions of nature; they're instruments of manipulation, repurposed to convey a specific message. The daemon taints what is good and beautiful instead of simply replacing it with something clearly ugly.
The magic snare
The snare is the daemon's entire scheme laid bare in one image—a trap that appears innocuous from the outside until it ensnares you. Justina won't realize she's being played; she'll simply feel herself falling in love.
Cyprian
Cyprian is the sorcerer Justina is directed to. He serves as the final piece in the daemon's plot — the human agent who will carry out Hell's plan. His name also resonates with Cyprus, the island honoring Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Rhyme
AABBBCCDDA ABEEFFGHHI IHJJ KK

§07Historical context

Historical context

Shelley created this piece as part of a dramatic translation and adaptation of scenes from *El mágico prodigioso* (1637), written by the Spanish Golden Age playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca. The original play tells the story of Saints Cyprian and Justina, featuring a pagan sorcerer who attempts to seduce a Christian woman, aided by a demon, but ultimately fails. Shelley worked on this translation around 1822, in the final year of his life, with publication occurring posthumously in 1824. The poem embodies Shelley's enduring interest in Platonic love, his skepticism toward organized religion, and his profound connection with European Romantic drama. In Shelley’s hands, the daemon's speech doesn’t come off as purely villainous; the beauty in the language showcases his genuine belief in love and imagination's power, even as the dramatic setting suggests that these forces can be perilous when misused.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

Who is Justina and why is the daemon targeting her?

Justina is a devoted Christian woman inspired by a medieval legend surrounding Saints Cyprian and Justina. The daemon seeks her out because of her chastity and faithfulness—her purity makes her an enticing target for corruption. In the original tale, a sorcerer named Cyprian has fallen in love with her and has turned to demonic forces to try to win her affection.

Who is Cyprian, and why does the daemon want Justina to seek him?

Cyprian is a sorcerer infatuated with Justina. The daemon's scheme is to create such intense romantic desire in Justina that she forsakes her faith to seek him out. In Calderón's original legend, Cyprian ultimately converts to Christianity after the demon's plan fails, leading to the daemon's downfall.

Is this poem by Shelley original, or is it a translation?

It translates and adapts a scene from El mágico prodigioso (1637) by Spanish playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca. Shelley worked on it in 1822, and it was published posthumously in 1824. He made some changes to the original text, and the daemon's speech captures Shelley's lyrical intensity just as much as Calderón's.

What does 'voluptuous death' mean?

It’s a compressed, paradoxical phrase: “voluptuous” refers to sensual pleasure, while “death” signifies spiritual destruction. The daemon suggests that desire — when turned against oneself — leads to a form of death for the soul. The pleasure is genuine, but so is the harm it inflicts on Justina’s faith and inner life.

Why does the daemon use nature — birds, flowers, leaves — as part of the temptation?

Because nature has a beauty and reliability that blatant evil lacks. The daemon's approach is one of seduction, not aggression. By transforming innocent natural beauty into a continuous promotion of love, he makes the temptation seem natural and unavoidable rather than an outside threat. Justina will believe she is merely observing her surroundings.

What is the significance of the chorus answering 'Love! love!' at the end?

The chorus acts like a trap set by the daemon. He has crafted the entire scene so that when the question 'What is the greatest thing in human life?' comes up, the only answer that seems right is love. The repetition and choral style evoke a hymn — that's intentional. The daemon is substituting religious devotion with a devotion to love.

Does Shelley seem to sympathize with the daemon at all?

That tension is both real and intentional. Shelley truly believed in the transformative power of love and imagination, themes he delved into throughout his career. The daemon's language shines with beauty because Shelley wrote about love and nature with deep conviction. While the dramatic frame criticizes the daemon's methods, the poetry itself reflects some of Shelley's own feelings for the subjects he describes.

What does 'Cyprian' have to do with love beyond just being a character's name?

The name brings to mind Cyprus, the Mediterranean island associated with Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of love in classical mythology. It's unclear if Shelley intentionally chose this echo or if it was already part of Calderón's source material, but the name inherently suggests erotic desire — aligning perfectly with the daemon's purpose.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Shelley, Percy Bysshe. "The Daemon Tempts Justina, Who Is a Christian." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/the-daemon-tempts-justina-who-is-a-christian-percy-bysshe-shelley/.

APA

Shelley, P. B. (n.d.). The daemon tempts justina, who is a christian. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/the-daemon-tempts-justina-who-is-a-christian-percy-bysshe-shelley/

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In Percy Bysshe Shelley's dramatic fragment 'The Daemon Tempts Justina, Who Is a Christian,' the Daemon's elaborate conjuration reveals that erotic desire functions not merely as an external threat to faith but as a cosmic force the poem …

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